Appreciate the view and comment and agree with it is a game changer and a total experience to be had. I wasn't trying to downplay it, but I did want to point out the negatives as I feel no one ever mentions them. It is such a fantastic experience and overshadows them like you said. I think some people will hear about VR and invest a lot of money not knowing that it takes time, effort, frustration, and compromise to have an enjoyable experience. Plus, you need a good system to have that experience. But if you take the time learn, know what is required to set it up and take the time to tune it, the reward is an amazing experience. Other VR titles are much easier to just slap on your headset and it autodetects your settings well, and away you go. MSFS requires a lot of tweaking, 3rd party software, and because there are a lot of 3rd party aircraft that might not optimize very well, it can be daunting to get started. I will stay flying in VR for aircraft that are optimized well, but if they aren't and I'm having to close my right eye to spot my cursor then I get frustrated and will only fly that in "2D". Just trying to not be biased and focus on the immersion vs what it takes to make that immersion enjoyable. Cheers!

@@sprocketsimulations Well said. I totally agree!

Also, if one doesn't have the ability or desire to move to VR, then TrackIR is a very nice upgrade also and works great with MSFS. It's kind of the gateway drug to VR =)

100% that is what I have used for years and it works extremely well!

Facts

Can you learn how to fly for real by learning in a simulator

@MRRANDYPIDDLETON the short answer is no. The long answer is that most CFI’s dislike training avid flight simmers for a few reasons. Most usually mention that they are not looking outside of the aircraft enough, over confident, and have poor habits. Training for your PPL is all about looking outside, practicing maneuvers, practicing failures, emergency procedures, and understanding flight dynamics and weather conditions. A lot of CFIs will even recommend to not use Flight Simulators while studying/training for your PPL. The only thing that I would say can help you is learning the flow in a cockpit and memorizing checklists. Everything else is just too different to relate to real world flying. While I still don’t think it closely represents flying at in real life, go for a flight, with live weather, never use Auto Pilot, keep your speed within 5knts according to the POH and phase of flight, keep your altitude within 50ft, practice steep turns and figure 8s while using a ground marker as your center point. Adjust your bank angle for the wind at the different parts of the maneuver. For example, a common maneuver is to do a full 360 degree circle around a point and to hit your own “wake” when completing to know you completed the circle accurately. Do this by looking at the horizon and not staring at your gauges. It is nearly impossible to replicate that in MSFS. Another one is that your CFI will just yank the throttle closed on you at random to simulate an engine failure. A memorable one for me was on downwind during pattern work. You have to know your glide speeds, inform the tower, and find the best way to get on the runway with no power. All while doing the rest of the emergency checklist. Talking on the radio is also another big hurdle. Same with crosswind landings and take offs. You just can’t feel the side load or how much rudder is needed in a flight sim. There is no replacement for proper instruction or feeling the aircraft. There is a lot of fun to be had while learning IRL as well. My instructor and I would learn things like how negative G’s feel by trying to get your pen to float the longest. Also, while not required any more, spin recovery is just an insane thing to do and try as you might no able to even come close to how it is. I did practice some IFR stuff and that is also just crazy. Again, no auto pilot allowed. So if you want to even try to test this (again not the same) set the cloud layer to make it a complete white out. Tune an ILS, fly it manually and you just get a tiny glimpse of what you are up against in a real aircraft. Also you are usually not training with any GPS for you PPL. Some might but most are using your standard 6 pack and maybe a 430 that just sort of gets ignored.

@@MRRANDYPIDDLETON NO, go to a real flight school.

Nobody is claiming that it can replace flight school and hands on formal training. I think he was asking if you could be able to take off, control, and land a plane if you spent time with this sim.

@@MRRANDYPIDDLETON You cannot learn fly only through a game. However you can certainly learn a LOT about real flying by playing MSFS. I bought one book about how use FSD to help real pilot training, unfortunately haven’t find any book similar for MSFS.

You are welcome! Thanks for watching!

Yeah he is an outstanding guy and I’m sure it will get there. I’ve talked with him a couple times about other things and he is by far one of the most committed developers out there. I’m sure it will continue to get better.

Thanks for watching! I was working towards my PPL years and years ago and have solod a few times. I ended up having to move overseas and have not gone back to finish it off. Just one of those things that hasn’t aligned back up. This is the Piper 28R from Carenado. I think the biggest thing that will transfer over for you with using VR is getting used to the location of gauges and where to look. Practicing pattern work is great but while it is fantastic in VR it doesn’t compare at all to IRL but still better than a monitor. Most of the ppl process is practicing when things go wrong vs the actual flying. So break out some emergency checklists and practice those. That will be a huge help to have an understanding of those. Also jump on VATSIM as learning to talk to ATC is one of the biggest hurdles and can be tough when you are focusing on learning how to fly and have to listen/read back correctly. Cheers!!

Most definitely need to get going with VATSIM. Thanks for the advice and looking forward to your next video.

steady as she goes, cyclops! that's awesome you still use VR while monoscopic.

To be honest I was slightly worried about making the switch due to an AMD system as I saw a few comments and discussions on forums about issues. I personally had zero problems setting it up and also very happy with the performance and visuals. Haven’t had any crashes either. I think both AMD and Microsoft have things much more dialed and compatible now.

There is a similar tool for the G2 but I can’t deal with those artifacts and ghosting that comes along with upscaling. Windows mixed reality even has an option built into it for all apps. It will improve but it is just not very good at this time. The other thing is that the Reverb G2 has a pretty significantly higher resolution compared to the Quest Pro making it harder to get frame rates that are not going to produce those artifacts. At 90hz you need at a bare minimum of 45fps to start using any upscaling/over sampling without it showing ghosting and such. Even then if it dips you will see them. So for me I would need to down scale the resolution 30% to match the Quest, which will provide me with the higher rates but reduced quality just to use upscaling. The final outcome is worse visuals/clarity with a screen door effect. I personally found to ditch the upscaling and run as close to native resolution as possible, and aim for no less than 30fps with a goal closer to 40. I do not get stutters, audio issues, ghosting, or artifacts this tuning this way.

use OpenXR and you will have VERY LOW latency and constant 90 fps.

Im on a pimax crystal and 4090 and im at about 40fps

@@daisy180709 you need to learn to configure it, then... Many people run FS with a pimax without problem, and most of the time with a less powerful graphics card than yours. example : kzfaq.info/get/bejne/eL2gm8qavNPFqas.html kzfaq.info/get/bejne/lbSll691q8zNpXU.html etc. Is it so difficult to request "flight simulator pimax crystal" on youtube? Really ?? Obviously, if your CPU is not at all up to your GPU, you shouldn't believe in miracles either... A gaming PC, even less for a sophisticated and demanding simulation, is not just a graphic card. It's not enough to put a 4090 in an old thing to transform it into a war beast. The CPU must follow, the DDR must follow, the SSD must follow...

It is very cool but you can tell it wasn’t optimized very well for VR in mind. I think 2024 will be better and with the headsets getting better as well, it will get there. I imagine a very small percentage of there millions of users are flying in VR so I can understand them not spending a ton of time with it. One thing that I have approximate for reputable developers is they have gone back to optimized their aircraft. I mention FlySimWares C414 and he has already overhauled it and works great in VR. Carenado has been going through all their previous aircraft as well to make sure they don’t cause the double vision.

It’s definitely only going to get better but I really think the effort and knowledge required for MSFS to be an enjoyable experience is not really mentioned. I can think of quite a few friends that would go pick up a VR headset, plug it in, hit Ctrl/Tab and immediately be frustrated and disappointed. It’s not a 30 minute fine tuning of understandable settings. It is hours/days of trial and error and 3rd party software. Plus needing the aircraft you are flying to be optimized. That being said, it is worth it if you are willing to learn and understand. There isn’t another experience like it. It is truly a game changer and a step closer to a real experience.

@@sprocketsimulations Pair a RTX 4090 with a 7800x3d and MSFS and XPLANE will run like a butter in VR.

That will be a sweet build! Check out some videos by Jay2cents and Gamersnexus about the 4090 plug/melting issues if you haven’t already. I think a 3rd party adapter fixes it but I’m team red so not really sure how big of an issue it actually is.

@@sprocketsimulations I used to get splitting headaches from VR, but this last upgrade and my Quest Pro makes VR so satisfying I even use it for work now.

Agreed, even in my short time of using VR it is odd to look at a monitor. Hope you get that cable figured out. Was it from twisting?

@@sprocketsimulations I may have worked it out. I had a Velcro strap to hold the cable against the headset. I think it was to restrictive and caused intermittent issues with the plug that attaches to the headset.

That’s good. HP recommends keeping slack there. Happy flying!

I agree but I also feel like they focus on that vs what is required to get there and some of the draw backs. Most, not all, will just mention how great it feels and I do mention a few times in the video on how much you can feel the depth and how it feels more like flying a real aircraft. VR Flight Sim Guy is a great channel but I couldn’t find a video that talked about the pros and cons in one go. Usually you only find out about some of the hardships and frustrations with VR in MSFS until you already have the headset and then search for tuning videos to get it right and if you are trying to fly an aircraft that is not optimized and didn’t know that some aren’t it can be extremely frustrating. There is absolutely no better way to experience MSFS than VR, tuning it, and having a powerful enough system. But it comes and a cost and patience. Unfortunately for us though, Asobo has failed to acknowledge questions about the future of VR in 2024. Also I think VR just did not catch on to the masses and some manufacturers have pulled out or are changing focus to augmented reality vs VR. Time will tell on the future of it but the Magic 8 Ball says “Outlook not so good”

​@@sprocketsimulationsthanks for the comment!

No addon, just default scenery. KBDU might be a free airport from flightsim.to. Make sure you have photogrammetry turned on in your settings. This is a blend of high and ultra settings.

Thanks! It is an AMD 5800X3D with a 6800xt, 32gb ram, and a nvme ssd. I record using OBS and this particular video I had it capture the left screen in the headset to give the most accurate view of what I’m seeing vs what is being mirrored on the monitor.

I haven’t used mine in a while but I remember that making this video was a pain for that reason. Essentially I had to make OBS recognize each lens as a separate monitor and then select the left eye as what was being recorded. Microsoft’s mixed reality and OpenXR are not really being supported anymore so moving forward the G2 will be sort of left behind. There is probably some way to use steamVR but imagine there will be some very wacky ways to make it happen. To answer your question there is no easy way to make it mirror like other VR titles do. If you are looking to record use OBS and look up some instructions on how to make it a display.

That’s really down to how much you want to spend. You can get the G2 for super cheap on sites and it does work well. I got mine for $250. That being said the world of VR is going to advance pretty quickly in the next year with more competition and better sensors, screens, and eye/hand tracking. HP I believe just said they were not making a G3, which I guess could mean leaving it entirely. The pros for the G2 are price, comfort, screen resolution and know to work well with MSFS with some tweaking of VR software and graphic settings. Cons are that it is wired, older, and sensors and features are not as good as some others. It is not a stand alone headset and uses windows mixed reality for its software. Which I don’t kind. It works well with Steam VR but doesn’t have its own marketplace apps like the Quest.

Yes, you can do pretty much all of the above. Your head movement on all axis’s will be replicated. There is also a VR Zoom button to use to quickly go to where you are looking. I use that a lot to look at the Garmin/instruments. I don’t use them a lot but custom or saved views will still cycle as well. Not sure where the next Flight Expo is but it think that is coming up and might be worth looking into for a demo. Otherwise I’d ask on the official forums as I’m sure someone might be willing for you to try out their setup.

Thanks for that really quick reply! Good info to know. I will check out the Flight Expo schedule and would be willing to travel a ways to have an opportunity to see some of these headsets in real-time demos of FS 2020@@sprocketsimulations

I was previously using TrackIR which is an amazing head tracker that sounds similar to what you are using. VR requires some horsepower to have good frame rates and visuals, but you can use slower/older systems just expect to drop those settings down to make it smooth and spend some time tweaking your system. Happy Flying!

That’s an awesome and expensive setup! Nice! 👍

Mine is smooth but the ones that are really shaking need to be tuned better. All of the shaking, breathing, and talking are not noticeable in a non natural way. I don’t notice it at all. Again, I did have to tune out the unnatural shakiness though as default it was “jittery”.

I agree, it is hard to deny the difference in edge to edge clarity. The feeling is amazing though. I’m glad to see Apple gettin into the game as that usually makes the masses jump on the band wagon and make it more popular.

@@sprocketsimulations I bit the bullet and built a system similar to Karl Gosling with 3 x 50 inch 4K screens, which are housed inside a blacked out 'booth'. Its not VR, but its very close and nothing like a single screen. I feel Apple's VR will be more AR focus and very expensive, but we will soon see. It's going to take something special to move me back into VR for sims.

That sounds awesome and I’m sure is a really amazing experience! Apple jumping into the game will just make it more main stream and force developers to optimize more for VR and will provide competition which usually means better products for everyone. But $3k for a headset is pretty crazy!

I agree. But I think there are a lot of people that do not understand the effort to make it successful. That was the purpose of the video. The biggest gripe for me is when an aircraft is not optimized for VR. It is very annoying. The other issue I’ve found is that I need a dictation notepad to use in VR to use VATSIM. Usually I can use my phone or an actual notepad. It is also crazy how clear it is on a super nice monitor though when compared to VR and I’ve managed to get my VR settings almost at ultra with native resolution. The reverb also has one of the highest resolutions per eye as well. But I agree, it is worth it. IF you realize what you’re up against.

I don’t use MSFS in Steam but the way I run my other games in Steam is by using the WMR room settings vs the chaperone. I can then quickly toggle my boundaries on or off for the application I am using. My girlfriend did what you are talking about though and didn’t turn them back on and was playing Half Life and punched the TV. Thankfully no harm no foul, but I totally get where you are coming from.

@@sprocketsimulations Darn, i don't have WMR settings, being an Index user. Maybe i can find something in OVR advanced settings. Or heck, maybe Asobo's been kind enough to do it automatically by now. I'll see when i get the chance to test it again.

I think SteamVR/Windows requires it. Search your start bar for “mixed reality” and it should come up. But I’m not familiar with the Index and how it ties into everything.

@@sprocketsimulations It does indeed come preinstalled with Windows, but since the Valve Index isn't a WMR headset, it won't let me do anything with it. Doesn't even recognize that there's an HMD connected. Thanks for the suggestion, though!

The reverb they will. It comes with two faceplates to fit different face sizes and/or glasses. The down side is using the bigger faceplate will slightly reduce you FOV as you are slight further away from the screens. There are some great companies that will make you prescription lenses to replace the lenses in the headset. I think they are reasonably priced.

Personally I would not. What graphics card and processor do you have?

I would say it is an experience but there are definitely trade offs. I have found I don’t really use VR much anymore. I use my TrackIR much more and able to use my iPad with Navigraph and take a drink when I want. It also performs better. But the experience is very cool to try. If the headsets/pc’s and software were more compatible and advanced it would be better. End of the day, for me, it’s just not practical enough and too many trade offs need to be made. I have probably 300+ hours in VR but the wow factor wore off.

Do you mean the VR unit hand controllers? I believe there is but I’ve heard it is absolutely horrible. A throttle, yoke, and rudder pedals match up perfectly. That is all I am using in this, that and my mouse. It is easy to have the muscle memory to find the mouse. 🐁

@@sprocketsimulations I ordered the turtle velocity one yoke and peddles

Piper 28R from Carenado.

You may be waiting a while lol..

AGL (above ground) vs MSL (above sea level). Altimeter will read MSL. Denver areas is roughly 5000ft MSL so I was flying about 2000ft above the ground.

All directions. Forward, back, left, right, and up, down. Just like you would normally use your head it is replicated.

I’ve never used the controllers as I’ve heard it is not the best experience. I don’t think there is a way to turn off your mouse. I’m guessing it acts the same way as if you are using an Xbox controller and uses the thumb stick as a cursor.

@@sprocketsimulations well I have a second question when I hit the evaluation button to show me what to press cause I like to do it in vr mode and do the whole checklist I select it but it keeps autocompleting when I do it for some reason I want to do everything myself

@R3ALTR1LLK1LLA not sure as I have not experienced that but check your realism settings and also in the cockpit check to make sure you do not have your co-pilot set to handle anything for you. It’s the top menu bar that pops up once you’re loaded in the aircraft.

What processor are you running? I would say you’re fine with a 4070ti unless your processor is a bottleneck. I think the biggest thing to remember with flight sims is that 60fps or higher is not needed. Lowest o would ever go is 30 but 30-50 is very good. The other thing with VR is that this is not a plug and play setup with easy VR settings. You will need to most likely use 3rd party software to get it to perform as you like. It is very enjoyable, but I have gone back to my IR tracker for most flights, not because of performance, but because I like use my Navigraph on my laptop/tablet to look at sectionals, flight tracking, and other important information. You can use overlays in VR to show some of this but it’s a little annoying to have it connect and load to display and be missing some features/information. If you are just looking to fly around like I did in this video is it amazing to feel all the difference is height with the ground and objects but any long flights that are IFR then you’re just sitting in a cockpit flying on autopilot and looking and clouds or blue sky. But to go back to your question, I think you’ll be perfectly fine with a 4070ti. I am using a 6800xt and a 5800x3d which is a generation old and mid level pc. I will say the biggest gain I got was going to the X3D processor.

i have the 11700k @@sprocketsimulations

They are the same. Personally I like the PC version just because it is a Microsoft Studio game. Steam had it for the same price a couple weeks ago for their summer sale. This would just be Microsoft’s sale on it. As far as the game itself they will be identical. Just purchasing from a different marketplace.

@@sprocketsimulations Thank you kindly for your answer! One more question if you don't mind. I bought the HTC vive some 6 years ago and I understand there are better VR headsets out there these days. Would you recommend I upgrade my headset or do you think I will still have an enjoyable experience playing a modern game like MSFS 2020?

@@ymalikovI’m not familiar with the headset but I would say that it’s worth trying it out. This was done on a HP reverb G2 which is a little old now. I picked it up for 299. Do you have a yoke or some sort of joystick? You will definitely want some sort of controller beyond an XBOX controller.

@@sprocketsimulations I do have a joy stick. Do you know if owners of MSFS 2020 will get a discount on the MSFS 2024 version? Regardless after seeing your video and listening to your comments I'm set on buying it now. Thank you so much :)

@@ymalikovI’m not sure but I doubt it. I’m guessing we are still 18 months out before we see 2024. My only word of caution, and this is just my own thoughts, is that any additional aircraft you might buy, I would see if Asobo/Microsoft has collaborated with the developer before. They have said that “most” aircraft will transfer over but I imagine there has to at least be an update made by the developer. Some aircraft haven’t been updated in years. Enjoy flying!!

You do adapt to that and there is software to help with the sharpness. Not sure what ones are for the Quest as I have a G2. I think the Quest also has a more pronounced “screen door” effect as you mentioned the pixel count is lower so you see the space between them. If your system can handle it try and scale up the resolution. It won’t actually change the resolution but it will give you more clarity. Thanks for watching and your comment!

Takes some effort to get it working smoothly along with a nice PC but I agree.

RAcing and trucking also

Yes I got mine for 299 as well. Definitely worth it. The overlay issues you mention, I do bring up about resources and trade offs with performance. Also tuning for your specific needs. I mainly do low and slow flights and do all my flight planning out of the game. Similar to real world planning if you don’t use things like an iPad/tablet or similar. I like steam gauges, vors, and ils approaches. So yes, you will need to adjust for your particular needs and setup. The mod I use for OBS to record is actually recording the headset screen, not the mirror on the monitor. It is cropped to fit a normal aspect ration vs being 1:1. But the lens will cause some distortion but overall I have mine setup that it does look pretty damn close to what you see here. I don’t need to zoom in to read even those little 430s. Thanks for watching!

The big ones for clear gages are going to be your render scaling and texture settings. It will also depend on your specific headset and the resolution of the screens. The Reverb G2 has two 2160x2160 screens and are higher resolution than some/most. I found that if I have to scale down to below 85% then I will notice they start to get blurry. My textures are at ultra. If your PC is not able to get you frame rates that allow you to run high scaling or ultra textures you’ll either have to start to reduce your other settings or find a happy medium. You are probably using it already but openXR toolkit does a better job of scaling than the in game scaling. You can also really try to boost the sharpening to compensate for lower scaling. If your headset has a lower resolution to begin with then you will have even harder of a time to find the balance.

@@sprocketsimulations Thanks for the advice, I'll play around with render scaling again and see if I can't tweak a little more clarity out of it. I stopped using the openXR toolkit a few months ago because I started to develop really bad ghosting in VR. I made the mistake of making multiple config changes to fix it so I'm not really certain it was openXR that was causing it. I think I will put it back on before tweaking the render scaling. Thanks again for the advice.

Definitely play with the sharpening as well. Don’t be shy and crank it up to see if that helps.

I was messing around with things this evening to see what might get you a better experience. One thing that I realized is super important is the position of the headset and you focal point for your pupil width. I have a small head and narrow face so I need to find the right spot for my eyes to be in the center of the lenses and the headset is angled correct as well.

@@sprocketsimulations I have the Reverb G2 as well. It's the first VR headset I've owned and I have to admit that I was pretty shocked with how small the sweet spot is with it. It does take some fiddling to get it just right on the old noggin. I zip tied a counter weight to the back of my head strap and I find it helps immensely to keep the display from sliding down my face. I still have to occasionally readjust slightly mid-flight, but not nearly as much now that it's counterweighted. I find getting the IPD dialed in a bit of a nuisance too. I know my IPD is 65.5cm, but there's no scale to set it to that. It's all seems to be trial and error. My next headset will have aspheric lenses, auto IPD adjustment, and eye tracking. That should take care of most of my major gripes. It may sound like I'm ripping on the G2 but I'm really not. I love using it and absolutely can't fly flat panel display anymore. It's just not perfect, but for the money it's probably the best value out there currently.

I don’t have the Quest but I would doubt it is very well optimized for controllers. You “can” with the Reverb controllers but it is a horrible experience.

It’s worth it, but like you mentioned there is a LOT of messing around to get it to be acceptable in MSFS. I’m on a mid level system that is all last gen stuff. But there are definitely cons which I point out in the video. It is not as simple as plug and play like other VR titles and performance takes a lot of trial, error, and frustration. But it is still worth it if you take the time to figure out what is important to you and how to get the most from your headset and system.

@@sprocketsimulations I absolutely agree. I went through months of frustrations, and even two returned headsets. I have a Reverb G2 sitting in its original box because the setup was a pain. I have been using my quest 2 because it’s the easiest to get going. The biggest issue I originally faced was the jumpy images with the ASW, which Virtual Desktop solved with an off selection that remains off. Once setup is good, the simulation is really fun. Thanks for your comment.

I believe PC only. I’m not aware of a VR headset for Xbox.

@@sprocketsimulations Got it... is this still the best headset for this? The HP Reverb G2?

@publicname515 that’s debatable but I’d say for the cost per performance it is. You can probably get one for around $200 USD on eBay. It’s a great headset but lacks a few features for other games like eye tracking and hand tracking. But that doesn’t affect MSFS. Personally, as awesome as an experience it is, I’d wait for MSFS 2024 to see if they are providing support for it. They are being a little cryptic when asked directly. My recommendation is to get an ultrawode 1440p monitor and track IR. That is what the rest of my videos are recorded as and I have reverted back to. It is rare I slap on he headset to fly. It’s just too clunky and annoying when we are flying into busy airspace with addons like Navigraph. Alt-Tab to another window for a quick glance is more of an immersion killer than just looking at a nice monitor. Plus the initial setup, while not super hard, does take some time. If you’re on Xbox I would just get a good yoke, pedals, and go fly! I used that setup for my first few videos. Minus the Xbox, but the Xbox experience would be the same. I’ve been thinking about doing an xbox controller video, on PC, but would be pretty identical to the console. Would you be interested in that?

@@sprocketsimulations Xbox controller video? Like running an Xbox controller on a pc and using that? Not really. Just wondering which setup I should get for practicing my VFR, IFR, and multi-engine. If it's a PC or Xbox not sure which is best still.

@publicname515 what are you using by now? If you’re talking about in real life practice… put the PC /Xbox down! Listen to an instructor and follow their advice.

I don’t believe so.

This a Piper PA28 Arrow from Carenado.

I’m not sure what you are comparing here. I started with FS4. Don’t remember the cost but it was probably around 25usd back then. That is about $60 today. And if you want to compare a DOS based simulator with a few areas to fly with a max of 800x600 resolution. Then yes. It is. And it is not 3x the amount when you are comparing a product from 1989 to todays prices. Or you’re joking and I miss read the room. Either way the answer is yes. Not to mention PC’s were wayyyyy more expensive back then. I can remember our family buying a $3k mid level Packard Bell. You can build a pc under $1k that can play MSFS on high at 1080p.

@@sprocketsimulations Im asking for an opinion cuz im thinking starting a vr flightsim and I am deciding which sim should i buy the microsoft flightsim40 years anniversay or SF4. And I think I mistaken your microsoft flightsim with the one on steam (microsoft flight sim 40yers aniversary).

Ahhh gotcha. The 40th I believe is just an update. Not an actual product that is different. Everyone got that even with the standard version. That is a tough question to answer. Wait for 2024 (which I personally think will be September 2024 and more than one year away) or buy the current 2020. I think that 2020 has a lot of time left in it and most paid addons will transfer over. I would suggest buying it from Microsoft vs steam though to ensure compatibility and future proofing. As far as VR, it is a mess right now with all sorts of reports and things coming out, as far as headsets. I am sure MSFS2024 will be much better with VR but I have no idea what headset will be best. I think you can get a quest or reverb for as little as 300 right now and they are great for current titles and most likely will be good for future, but as things progress I can imagine wanting more. But that also means a new and latest PC. My advice is, pick up a VR headset like the Reverb G2 for cheap, buy MSFS2020 from Microsoft. Or just get their game pass for 9.99 a month and see what you think. It is fantastic to fly in VR but like the video says takes some time to get right. Sorry for the confusion, but us old fart flight simmers will understand that FS4 was 1989 and not 2024 😂

@@sprocketsimulations I see. I already own Quest2 but never tried flightsim before so thinking of trying them. Both of the sim are on sales on Steam rn. Microsoft40 is $40 and FS4 is $15. So im thinking of trying FS4 first. Also, i dont have any knowledge on how to fly the plane, do i need any? Or there will be tutorials on FS4?

You still use a yoke or what ever you are comfortable with along with your mouse. MSFS does support “hand” control using the VR controls but it is horrible for a couple of reasons. First is that there are just soooo many buttons in aircraft that you have a hard time pressing the right one with accuracy. The other part is that you have no resistance without a yoke. There is no telling how far you are really pushing, pulling, or banking. Personally you would need a yoke, throttle quadrant, trim wheel, and rudder pedals. That along with a mouse is ideal. You don’t need to see them to know where they are and muscle memory adapts very quickly to it.

I do, didn’t mention them. Can’t imagine not having them.

I would say no it’s not. The only closeness part is that your head is moving and you have a slightly improved depth perception. Someone else asked this on here. Main issues with VR that actually take away from a pilots seat comparison is that you are not seeing the same controls you are feeling. Plus if you need to look at other items, write down atis info/atc instructions, or look at a POH you are not able to do so in any realistic manner. Visually it gives you a slight edge just as any VR title does. But I find that TrackIR with an iPad for maps and digital data as well as a pen and paper provides a much more accurate representation of real life flying. It is still nowhere near close but as far as work flow, and what you are able to look at outside of the headset is much more accurate. If you invested the same amount as a headset into more peripherals then it will be come even more realistic as you will have physical dials and buttons to push. Such as a nav/com stack, auto pilot controls and others will minimize mouse use which is by far the most unrealistic way to control the aircraft. I used VR for about 300 hours and it’s just not practical for anything more than short sight seeing flights. It’s great for that. But again, this is just the visuals. Nothing about actually flying.

@@sprocketsimulations Saves on countless lessons and 1500 hours of flying time.

@@sprocketsimulations I've never heard anyone else with real flight hours say that it's only a slight edge. It's the same with racing sims, every single person I've seen mention anything about it says their time improvements were either negligible while still having better spatial awareness, or like the vast majority who immediately see improvements in their lap times. Same with pilots being able to better orient for landings etc.

All my other videos are with track IR and I love it. Saying that I am still very much aware that I am looking at a monitor on my desk. With VR you will feel like you are in the cockpit, for example I’ve had time with tail draggers where I thought I’d hit my head on the window when trying to tilt to the left to see better. TrackIR I just put my view wherever without “feeling” What headset are you using for VR?

I was using the trackhat clip on my flight simulator setup since P3D V3, facetracknoir in FSX days, I continued to use my trackhat clip when I first started in msfs, but once I plugged in my HP Reverb g2 and got my settings right there is absolutely no comparison, flying in VR literally puts you in the cockpit and like the author of the video says you get height, depth and situational awareness that is really close to real life. Head tracking is good, VR is exceptional.

@@paulsleighty _Chacun à son goût_ You're happy, I'm happy, so win-win.

Based on your comment, you're not in VR. Perhaps just viewing the virtual desktop in the headset? VR is a VASTLY more immersive experience than a flat screen and TIR.

@@odourboy As I said, I've tried VR. I didn't find appealing enough over TrackIR to be worth all the additional trouble and expense. And also, I didn't like the complete loss of real-world situational awareness.

This down to each individual developer identifying what is “3D” and not. Nothing to do with headset. Plus the Apple VR won’t be out for a while and I think is going to be more focused on augmented vs virtual reality. Also Asobo has failed to make a comment on if VR will even be implemented on MSFS 2024. As much as it is a cool experience, VR just hasn’t caught on and I believe will die a slow death. To this day the most popular graphics card on Steam is a Nvidia 1650 and no where near capable of making use of VR in an enjoyable manner. Especially for MSFS.

No, it’s just that CFI’s teach you VFR mainly and you are to be looking outside more than your gauges. You glance at them. I have only flown a little under the hood and it is not like looking at your gauges only in FS. Number one is you are not using an autopilot when training. Two is there is a hell of a lot more going on in a real aircraft. My point was that flight simmers mainly look at the gauges even when flying manuall/vfr because we can’t feel what the aircraft is doing. But VR is one step closer to “feeling” as you now have depth and much better situational awareness in the sim. So we have trained bad habits when it comes to real world flying. There are a lot of drills that you do that rely on online very briefly glancing at your instruments and go off of feel. Hence the term flying by the seat of your pants.

While you can get on for cheap, this video is discussing more than just the cost of the headset. Your PC and expectations need to be considered but the main issue making it worth it is if you are willing to take the time to go through all the setup as it is definitely it a plug and play experience like other VR titles. It also depends on certain 3rd party aircraft that might not be optimized for VR. For some all of this will be very stressful, disappointing, and not worth it. I do mention that if you decide to take the time set it up, have a fast enough PC, and get your expectations to what your setting it’s will need you to be, then it is a fantastic experience.

Never been an XPlane guy but good to know. My uneducated theory on MSFS 2024 will be that they are going to ditch VR or have very limited focus on it. Asobo has dodged the question numerous times and have always provided a non answer.

@@sprocketsimulations Oh no don’t go mentioning MSFS 2024 I’m not ready for it. MSFS needs to have some serious bug fixes before going to the next sim. I’ve completed all bush trip flights and none of the achievements have unlocked. Just last night game crashed on Xbox. VR in MSFS does pretty good compared to X-Plane. X-Plane crashed on me during a VR flight the other day.

I think that is the point of 2024 though, 2020 is built on legacy software and just not up to snuff on the capabilities we want. 4 years has been typical for MSFS to cycle through their products and I think 2024 will bring us all the stuff we have been missing on 2020. Looking forward to it.

Yes, this is exactly what I was trying to describe. The pixels density is just not there, even when compared to a 1440 monitor. It’s very noticeable to me. The experience is great, but you are definitely making sacrifices.

Sure but with decent hardware and the newest headsets, it's practically negligible. The depth more than makes up for the shortcomings. Very little distortion, readable text and scalable resolution as needed

I would argue that having a triple monitor setup is a way better option than dropping the cash on an over priced headset that will lose value within 2 years. Plus with monitors you can still use more realistic tools/peripherals than messy overlays in VR. Using a tablet with navigraph and charts for example. Also drinking a cup of coffee doesn’t require awkward head tilting or lifting the headset. Like I say in the video you do get a level of depth that is hard to replicate but will never be the same as a monitor in terms of quality and clarity. Add in the fact that LOD is very noticeable in VR in MSFS. Even cranking it all the way up you’ll still see trees, traffic, and other objects rendering/popping into view. We just aren’t there yet and it is not practical for flying without overlays that to me, completely break the immersion/depth.

​@@sprocketsimulations A long curved monitor would be better than a triple one, but it's still the same gimmick. The Quest headsets I'd argue are actually a great value for what you get, much higher resolution than an index with wireless and standalone capability. A mug might be the only thing requiring that, any normal glass, thermos, cup etc is fine to drink from, and is honestly a fairly negligible factor. To say it'll never be the same seems a bit disingenuous. There are VR headsets today that use micro-OLEDs with insane pixel density by utilizing monocrystalline silicon wafers. We're already at a point of diminishing returns when it comes to monitor resolution and framerate, yet the VR advancements still have that gap to close. The limitations of cheap computation of course are the greatest factor in being able run VR at high levels, so we're pretty bottlenecked by that. The only thing in terms of functionality that's notable is the lack of notepad or chart access. That's just a feature implementation issue on the devs part. Thing is, you can just use OpenKneeboard if you want a pad in VR, and can even attach the chart to it. We won't get to see a lot of proprietary features until the tech reaches the next step and sees more adoption for sure, but there's ways to make up for some of it in the meantime

@extremeencounter7458 three curved ultra wide is the ideal for both flight sim and sim racing. As VR progresses so do the monitors with higher and higher resolutions and refresh rates. Sure there are some good value headsets but those don’t go with your original comment, quality, or experience. Also the support for VR is just too low. The user base is just too small for developers to invest valuable time to it. It’s a niche market and expensive. Especially when you consider all the Xbox users. Again, it’s a great experience, just not practical. I’ve used OpenKneeboard and Navigraph even have an overlay but both miss on all the functionality and in the end frustrating. I’ll pop mine on for short little vfr flights from time to time. But I use a single ultra wide with TrackIR and that works great as far as being able to look around freely on all axis’s and still use other items. I also have to lift my headset for beer cans and a glass of bourbon. lol

Ha! That’s quiet the setup.